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PsyDuck90

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  1. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from psychapplicant21 in I've accepted my offer - now what?   
    As someone in my 3rd year, I cannot agree with this more. Your whole life will more or less be grad school for the next 5+ years. Take this time to read any non-academic books you've been interested in, binge a show, travel, spend time with loved ones,, do nothing. You will have some down time in grad school, but not much. So before you start juggling all the multiple responsibilities, take some time to enjoy the stage of your life you're in at the current moment. 
  2. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 reacted to SocDevMum in I've accepted my offer - now what?   
    As someone who was in that spot last year - take the time to breathe and enjoy yourself! Read some non-academic books, take a weekend getaway (if your area allows travel), indulge in some hobbies, go out with friends and family.  Because the next 5+ years will not allow you to do nearly as much of any of that as you would like! 
    Then, yes, start scouting for housing in your new city, maybe make some connections both within and outside your academic program to ease the transition.  
    Congratulations!
  3. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from syu11181 in Accepting admission offer   
    I would still wait before formally accepting it. The program shouldn't be pulling the offer before sending you financial aid information or anything like that. 
  4. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from ad_7272 in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Same. We are doctoral students until we pass comps and then doctoral candidates after passing comps. 
  5. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from Liquirizia in Accepting admission offer   
    I would still wait before formally accepting it. The program shouldn't be pulling the offer before sending you financial aid information or anything like that. 
  6. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from amam in Writing a letter of decline   
    The simpler, the better:
    Thank you so much for your time, consideration, and generous offer. However, after much consideration, I've decided to accept an offer for a different program. Thank you again, and I hope my release of this offer will be a benefit to another deserving candidate. 
  7. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from ktrunner9922 in Mental Health Counseling Masters: BU School of Med vs. Penn GSE?   
    Which will leave you with less debt? Counselors don't make a ton, so you you want a ton of debt.
    Also, the licensing requirements for counselors differ from state to state, so programs typically conform to the state they are in. I would think about what states you would want to potentially live and practice in and double check which of these 2 (if not both) will meet eligibility for licensure in those states. 
  8. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from fingers.crossed in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    I would reach out to the program director or DCT. My program will usually have incoming students connect with current students about housing, especially if a current student is looking for a roommate or something. We've had a few instances where 1 person was leaving for internship and an incoming student took their room in the apartment. 
  9. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from Starlife in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    If I remember correctly, they're a bit more psychodynamic leaning. That's a common psychodynamic interviewing tactic-seeing how people react when uncomfortable and under pressure. 
  10. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from fiziks__ in When should I tell my manager I am leaving?   
    Honestly, I'd keep it to the standard 2 weeks. I told my job soon after I got the acceptance because I wanted to be nice and help with the transition for my replacement. My supervisor wrote 1 of my letters because my job was very relevant to my intended studies. I got screwed over by HR and was not able to use any of my PTO as vacation time (which is also not paid out upon leaving) because I had given my notice in March for mid-July. This was a small social services non-profit.  
    You don't owe your company anything. They will look out for their best interests first and foremost. As should you. 
  11. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from ed.applicant in Writing a letter of decline   
    The simpler, the better:
    Thank you so much for your time, consideration, and generous offer. However, after much consideration, I've decided to accept an offer for a different program. Thank you again, and I hope my release of this offer will be a benefit to another deserving candidate. 
  12. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from CoffeeAndDogs in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    If I remember correctly, they're a bit more psychodynamic leaning. That's a common psychodynamic interviewing tactic-seeing how people react when uncomfortable and under pressure. 
  13. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from CoffeeAndDogs in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Yeah, I think so. I don't identify with psychodynamisism at all, so others may speak to it better than I can, but yeah, there's seems to be the idea of making the person sweat and the most uncomfortable they can without crossing any actually boundaries to see how the individual responds. I and my cohort-mates have had some weird externship interviews on occasion because of this. 
  14. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from lec3 in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Just be straight to the point. Acceptance: Thank you so much for the opportunity. I am excited to accept the offer for x university and look forward to working with you (if directly to PI). Decline: Thank you so much for the offer. However, after much consideration, I've decided to accept an offer for a different program. 
    Or something along those lines. 
  15. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from Copingwithcarbs in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Yeah, I think so. I don't identify with psychodynamisism at all, so others may speak to it better than I can, but yeah, there's seems to be the idea of making the person sweat and the most uncomfortable they can without crossing any actually boundaries to see how the individual responds. I and my cohort-mates have had some weird externship interviews on occasion because of this. 
  16. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from raindr0p in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    I would reach out to the program director or DCT. My program will usually have incoming students connect with current students about housing, especially if a current student is looking for a roommate or something. We've had a few instances where 1 person was leaving for internship and an incoming student took their room in the apartment. 
  17. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from Regression2theMean in Help! What Should I do??   
    Every program goes through re-accreditation every 10 years or something like that. If they are cagey with their response to that incredibly valid question, something is up. As a PP said, normally programs get put on probation before they actually get their accreditation pulled completely. If the program has good internship match rates and EPPP pass rates, I wouldn't stress too much. APA accreditation is a minimum standard, and there are many subpar programs that have poor outcomes but maintain their accreditation. 
  18. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from supernervous12 in Applied to clinical psych but received an offer for a different track, what should I do?   
    I'm not sure how likely it is to transfer into a clinical program since the clinical training starts day 1. There are respecialization programs that you can do post-grad which may meet requirements for clinical licensure in your state. However, those programs seem to only be offered by professional schools with questionable reputations. You said your PI does clinically oriented work. What does that mean exactly? What kind of career do you envision yourself having? If you don't care about being eligible for a clinical license in the future and want to strictly be an academic and a researcher, then this may be a good option. If you think you may want to clinician in some capacity that requires a license, then that's a tougher decision. You may still be able to be involved in clinical research in some capacity without being a clinician. I would maybe speak with any mentors in the field you may have and see what they say. 
  19. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from Psych603 in Pre-doc Internship Prep   
    I'm applying next cycle, so I've been thinking about it a lot. Apps are due in less than a year at this point. I think you can add those hours into Time2Track if you've been using that to track hours. I would ask your DCT if they can sign off on MA hours or if you need to have your original program sign off on them. My guess would be your DCT since they are signing off on the veracity of your reported hours to be eligible for internship, but they would know best. 
    Several people in the cohort ahead of me suggested to write cover letters over the summer break, as that significantly decreases the amount of stress in the fall. In one of my classes this semester, we have been discussing our theoretical orientation and are going to be starting to write our APPI essays, so we at least have some rough drafts that have been peer reviewed as a starting point. 
    Just like with most milestones in doctoral programs, I think planning is the name of the game. Get organized and plan out a timeline of getting things done. I've heard that each cover letter takes about 2 hours overall to write, so 15x2 is 30 hours of time spent on cover letters alone. 
    If your program has a 100% APA-accreddited match rate, I wouldn't stress TOO much. It's likely the program has the systems in place to help students through the process, but speaking with your advisor, the DCT, and/or students who have gone through the match recently is incredibly helpful in getting your bearings. 
  20. Like
    PsyDuck90 reacted to Kelso123 in Venting about this hellish application season   
    So I've heard from people that "every year gets harder" for getting into psychology programs (particularly clinical psych), but this year is just insane. I'm feeling so frustrated because I got waitlisted at the only school I got an interview from, and now I might not get into grad school this year despite applying to 15 programs. This is my second time applying to clinical programs, and this time I applied with 2 years of full-time research experience (plus 3 years part-time research experience), 3 glowing LOR including one well known PI, and a paper in revision which then was accepted for publication shortly after apps were due (I notified all my potential PIs right away) plus 1 paper under review and 2 in prep, plus 4 first authored posters and a dozen other posters I've worked on as second or third author. (My undergrad GPA was 3.95 so that also shouldn't be an issue). My supervisors, an associate and assistant professor at an R01, were confident I would receive several offers this year with my CV and after looking over my personal statement as well. And yet here we are... 
    I'm sure I'm not the only qualified applicant facing this. And I also know that people who are receiving offers are super amazing so no shade to them. It just sucks that funding is so down this year and there were suddenly so many more applicants. 
    I'm feeling especially frustrated today because a grad student in one of the labs I work in was asking for my help with stats, and it's like if I can teach current grad students things they don't know and still not get into a program, what the heck?! Is it even worth it to keep trying to get into this field? I just feel so discouraged. 
    Feel free to vent about this crazy app season or anything else psychology field / application related below. 
  21. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from eloisetheapplicant in Clinical/Counseling Psychology Interview Advice   
    1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
    2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
    3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
    4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
    5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.
  22. Upvote
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from maddypatty123 in I was invited for a Zoom conversation regarding my application by POI. Is this an informal interview?   
    An informal interview and a pre-interview are the same thing. Some faculty reach out to speak with students before finalizing lists for invites to the formal interview day/weekend. 
    Getting responses from 2 programs is great. It doesn't mean that you are accepted though. Do the interviews with the 2 schools and then if/when you get acceptances, that's when to worry about which program to pick. The interviews will be able to give you a much better idea of which program you prefer if given a choice. 
  23. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from Psyche007 in Clinical Psych Internship Interviews   
    Oh yeah, they don't like your school, mostly for the PsyD. They're also generally biased against PsyD programs as a whole. 
  24. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from Psyche007 in Clinical Psych Internship Interviews   
    Match day is indeed tomorrow. If you go over to StudentDoctorNetwork, there are tons of people who applied for internship. That forum also has a lot of TDs and staff psychologists who weigh in on things as well. The internship thread there is basically what the program application thread is here on GradCafe. 
  25. Like
    PsyDuck90 got a reaction from justacigar in Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Don't believe everything you see on the results page. Trolls gonna troll. 
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